STS-123
Report #30
11 a.m. CDT Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON � The space shuttle Endeavour crew members have a day of preparations and last-minute packing ahead of them, as they get ready to return to Earth on Wednesday.

The crew started its day at 9:58 a.m. CDT with the wake-up song �Con Te Partiro,� an Italian song that translates to �I will go with you.� The song was performed by Andrea Bocelli and played for French astronaut Leopold Eyharts.

Commander Dominic Gorie and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson will begin the shuttle�s landing preparations at 12:53 p.m., by performing an orbital adjustment burn to bring Endeavour to the correct orbit for landing.

At 1:28 p.m., Gorie, Johnson and Mission Specialist Mike Foreman will begin checking the shuttle�s aerosurfaces and hydraulic systems as part of the flight control systems checkout. And they�ll follow that with a test of the shuttle�s steering jets during the reaction control system hot fire.

Later in the day the crew members will take time out to talk to reporters. At 5:33 p.m., Eyharts will be talking with two French television stations, as well as the French Ministry of Defense. And at 7:13 p.m., the entire shuttle crew will answer questions from CNN, the Associated Press and KTVI-TV in St. Louis.

The next STS-123 status report will be issued near the end of the crew�s day at about 2 a.m. Wednesday, or earlier if events warrant.